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Teenagers expect to die young

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The Associated Press

Published: July 1, 2009

CHICAGO - A surprising number of teenagers, nearly 15 percent, think they're going to die young, leading many to drug use, suicide attempts and other unsafe behavior, new research suggests.

The study, based on a survey of more than 20,000 youngsters, challenges the conventional wisdom that teens engage in risky behavior because they think they are invulnerable. Instead, a sizable number take chances "because they feel hopeless and figure that not much is at stake," said study author Iris Borowsky, a physician and researcher at the University of Minnesota.

The study appears in the July issue of Pediatrics, released Monday.

The researchers analyzed data from a nationally representative survey of youngsters in grades seven through 12 who were interviewed three times from 1995 through 2002.

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